Language & identity
When do you feel free to speak in your own voice?
Accent, expression, and the courage to try.
We are already here. Let’s belong together.
A listening project, rooted in Richmond
Every person has a story about finding their place. Here, Together listens for the connections that help us build a life—and a community—in Virginia.
A question for our neighbors
What does it take to belong?
01 / Place
Richmond roots. Virginia stories.
02 / Practice
Listen. Reflect. Connect.
03 / Beginning
A small pilot. An open question.
A stronger community begins with being heard.
A parent navigating a child’s school. A neighbor finding confidence in a new language. A teacher learning from their students. Everyday experiences can reveal what makes belonging possible.
Through recorded conversations and shared reflection, this project explores the people, places, and relationships that help Virginians connect across difference.
There’s a story in the everyday.
Questions we hope to explore. Not yet participant stories.
Learning & possibility
Who helped you feel included?
Schools, teachers, and doors that open.
Place & connection
What makes a new place feel like home?
Neighbors, shared rituals, and everyday welcome.
Help a good question take root.
The proposed pilot / Fall 2026
3–4
conversations to start something.
- 01
- Shared listening gathering
- $1,000
- Proposed seed budget
The first chapter is intentionally small: a handful of conversations, stories reviewed by the people who share them, and a gathering to reflect on what we hear.
Your support can help test a thoughtful approach to community storytelling—and reveal what deserves to grow.
A few good questions.
Is this already a published story collection?
The project is at the proposed pilot stage. The first conversations and listening gathering will help shape what comes next. No participant stories are published on this prototype.
Where will the project begin?
The pilot is rooted in Richmond, with participants recruited through relationships in Richmond and across Virginia. A larger statewide effort is a future possibility.
Who is invited to participate?
The initial pilot will begin with adults. Potential participants include immigrants, refugees, educators, parents, community leaders, advocates, and longtime Virginia residents.
What could we build here, together?
A conversation, a connection, a place to begin. Help make this small pilot possible.